Logs:Near Hit

Near Hit
Dramatis Personae Akihiro, Sarah, Some Assholes
In Absentia	2020-09-20 '
Location <NYC> Evolve Cafe - Lower East Side
Spacious and open, this coffeeshop has a somewhat industrial feel to it, grey resin floors below and exposed-beam ceilings that have been painted up in a dancing swirl of abstract whorls and starbursts, a riot of colour splashed against a white background. The walls alternate between brick and cheerfully lime-green painted wood that extends to the paneling beneath the brushed-steel countertops. There's an abundance of light, though rather than windows (which are scarce) it comes from plentiful hanging steel lamps. The walls here are home to artwork available for sale; though the roster of prints and paintings and drawings and photographs changes on a regular basis it has one thing in common -- all the artists displayed are mutants. The seating spaced around the room is spread out enough to keep the room from feeling cluttered. Black chairs, square black tables that mostly seat two or four though they're frequently pushed around and rearranged to make space for larger parties. In the back corner of the room is more comfortable seating, a few large black-corduroy sofas and armchairs with wide tables between them. There's a shelf of card and board games back here available for customers to sit and play. The chalkboard menus hanging behind the counter change frequently, always home to a wide variety of drinks (with an impressive roster of fair-trade coffees and teas largely featured) though their sandwiches and wraps and soups and snacks of the day change often. An often-changing variety of baked goods sit behind the display case at the counter halfway back in the room, and the opposite side of the counter holds a small selection of homemade ice creams. A pair of single-user bathrooms flanks the stairway in back of the cafe; at night, the thump of music can be heard from above, coming from the adjoining nightclub of the same name that sits up the stairs above the coffeehouse. It is a clear and chilly autumn night outside the cafe, perfect for the nearing spooky season. As nice as it is, not many customers are in the cafe as it heads toward closing time. It has been a slow night, partially owed to the wind-down of the weekend and partially owed to a pack of humans that have been loitering on the sidewalk outside. Loudly harassing anyone who approaches or leaves from the cafe door. A few times they’ve left and a few times they’ve returned, rowdier and possibly drunker each time. Sarah has occupied her small table far away from the door for a while now—evident by a small stack of receipts, the ghosts of an equally small stack of plates and collection of cups recently returned to the counter. She’s dressed to match the weather outside, in a long sleeved orange shirt with a print of a candy unicorn and black jeans with giant dandelion puffs bleached onto the legs, boots purple and combat. Far, far from the first time, she grabs her phone from the table and checks it. Sends a text (again.) Makes a call and waits as it rings (again) before hanging up (again.) All the while, her heel nervously taps a beat against the floor while she looks anywhere but the front of the building. The jeers from outside the building only get louder as the door opens and Akihiro makes his way in. He's dressed for the chill as well, sporting a black face mask tied behind his head, a loose fitting navy blue hoodie, matching navy joggers, and a pair of white running shoes with blue accents. After getting his coffee he walks over towards where Sarah is and offers a small wave. "Hey there, everything alright friend?" Sarah’s gaze jerks toward the door, hope radiating from her that quickly extinguishes when Akihiro walks in. Taptaptaptaptaptap goes her boot heel. Still, she pulls a smile from somewhere when he approaches, though it is small and short-lived. “Oh, hi. I’m just…” She gives the door a wide-eyed glance that she fails at making appear casual. “Trying to find someone to walk me home. Are you getting a to-go order by any chance? It’s okay if you aren’t! I can keep calling Angie. I just. Don’t want to go out there alone.” "Well, looks like you've found someone." Akihiro offers a smile from underneath his mask. "Just stopped by for the coffee, so I'm ready to go whenever you are." He shifts his weight back and takes another glance at the crowd outside. "They don't seem like they'll be much trouble, even if they get violent." Sarah stands and pushes her chair in. "That's easy for you to say," she answers, uncharacteristically broody. She checks her phone one last time, sighs, tucks it and her stack of receipts away in a pocket. Her tone is lighter when she speaks again. "Sorry. I appreciate the help, really." Her mouth twists. "I just wish I didn't need it." "Yup, barely an inconvenience." Akihiro says with a shrug. "We could always teach you how to fight." he suggests as he starts towards the exit. "Probably wouldn't be the worst idea with how heated things have been getting." Trying her best to stay in Akihiro’s shadow, Sarah shrinks in on herself as they approach the door. Back slouching, shoulders curling in, arms crossing over her stomach to tuck hands in against her side. “I don’t want to fight anyone,” is her meek reply before they are out the door. There is a trio of them, staggering back to the entrance of Evolve with brown bagged drinks in hand. The ringleader takes a swig of his drink, laughs at something the other said. His red hair is a bright splash of color among the rest of the humans, dressed mostly in dark jackets and jeans as they heckle the passing mutants. "Paul," the ringleader calls, beckoning one of them closer. Paul turns, looks at him blankly. "Splash whatever mutie comes through next." A beat, then Paul grins, grabbing another beer from his jacket pocket. Paul's face is already red and he's built like a truck. The redhead snickers, lining up with the last member of the group, a skinny younger looking man with curly brown hair and a sad mustache, right behind Paul. The door opens - the beer can does too, pale liquid spinning out of the can towards the latest victims. "That doesn't mean they won't want to fight you." Akihiro replies as he shoulders the door open and catches a large portion of the pisswater with his face and chest. "See, this is what I'm talking about." An unseen smile creeps across his face a he puts himself between the trio and Sarah. "You kids enjoying yourselves out here?" Even with Akihiro inadvertently shielding her (and her height helping some of the beer miss entirely), Sarah still takes a splash to the head and face. Her startled cry doesn’t do much other than let warm shaken-up beer in her mouth. She blindly turns as the cafe door falls shut behind her, half-retching when she spits it out onto the sidewalk. Untangles her arms to rub a sleeve across her face and watering eyes. “I didn’t even do anything!” The red-head grins, and the guy to his side lets out a harsh, brassy laugh. Paul is smiling too, getting a bit into Akihiro's space. "We are, thanks for asking" he says with mock sincerity, pouring what little is left in the can onto the other man's shoes. Behind him, the redhead mutters something low into the curly-haired one's ear. He nods once, and the pair of them move lazily around Akihiro to get a better look at Sarah, cornering her a little more against the door to Evolve. "Whadya think, Joe?" The redhead asks, tilting his head. "You think she done something?" Joe snorts. "Muties invading the city, I think that's something, alright." No sooner does Joe finish his thought does a sound similar to thunder ring out as Akihiro snaps his foot up and across Paul's chin. "Gentlemen, I don't think we were done talking," he croons, turning to face the pair that's rounded on Sarah, "but honestly it doesn't sound like you have anything substantial to say. " When Sarah finally clears her vision and looks up, it certainly isn’t to a comforting sight. Blood draining from her face, she presses back against the door, glancing about with too-wide eyes. Brings her hands together to clasp tightly in front of her in a move that could be pleading. “I...” The crack of the kick makes her flinch, puts her into motion; her clasped hands shoot out to hit the redheaded man in the crotch before she darts for any available opening. The redhead is looking at Sarah thoughtfully - "I think you're right, Joe," he says, but whatever nasty comment was next is interrupted by the sound of Paul's chin meeting more bone. Both the redhead and Joe whip their head around. Paul rubs his chin, pulls his arm back to punch Akihiro as the other man turns around. "The hell you just say to me, mut-" The redhead starts before letting out a low groan and dropping like a stone. "What the fuck?" says Joe, slow on the uptake. "Rick, get the fuck up." He turns, tries grab Sarah as she darts away. Swaying lightly on his feet Akihiro dodges the punch without looking and brings his fist back up to throw the scalding coffee into the mans face. "Grab her and I'll cut you." He doesn't seem angry, if anything his voice is too soft for the situation. "I won't kill you though, don't worry." By some instinct, Sarah ducks in time to avoid Joe’s grubby paw catching her still dripping hair. She scrambles to get behind Akihiro again, backing up out of anybody’s reach. “You really don’t want to fight him,” she says, voice quiet and shaky. Not the most intimidating thing. Paul screeches this time, staggering backward, his eyes pressed closed as he paws the scalding water out of his face. From the ground, Rick groans again, slowly making his way up from fully lying on the ground to his knees - not quite to his feet yet. Alarm is in Joe's expression, now that Sarah is out of reach. "Hey, man," he tries, stammering over his words, "my friends were just fucking around, you know?" He glances over his shoulder - from the other humans, no help is forthcoming. "Were you? What would you have done if she came out alone?" All traces of a smile have left Akihiro's voice. "If you're going to try again get it over with, otherwise fuck off." He relaxes visibly and takes a few steps forward, hands slipping into his pockets. "I'll even give you the next three hits, but I won't pull my punches afterwards." Joe's mouth opens and closes repeatedly, eyes wide and flickering back and forth between Paul and Rick and Akihiro. Paul's face is burned - the skin on his face is red and puckering and he is holding another beer can to his face in a desperate bid for cooling. Joe eventually reaches a hand to Rick, to get him off the groun. Rick bats the hand away, gets to his feet. "Fucking muties," he spits, and then over his shoulder to the other humans - "Fucking cowards!" He surveys the scene. "Fuck," Rick concludes. "Hospital. Burns look bad." Paul is crying a little now." Joe nods, goes to help Paul stagger away. Rick levels a look at Akihiro. "This ain't over," he says. "You're gonna get what's coming." A beat, and the three of them turn to leave. "Please bring more people next time, since you three can't handle a seventy-four year old by yourselves." Akihiro says cheerfully, pulling a hand from his pocket and wiggling his fingers at them. After a few moments he looks over to Sarah, "How ya holding up kid? Your first few fights are always a little scary." Sarah does not look as calm as her companion. Still pale and starting to shake from adrenaline, she opens her mouth to answer. Quickly closes it again before stumbling closer to the street and unceremoniously losing whatever was in her stomach. Whining softly, she pushes beer-wet hair back from her forehead, wipes her mouth with her other hand. “I really hate beer,” does not exactly answer Akihiro’s question. She has to scrub at her face with her sleeve, clear her throat before she can speak again. It still comes out small and teary. “Thank you.” Akihiro walks over and pats Sarah's back as she pukes. "Hate wearing it even more." he agrees, taking a step back as she collects herself. "It's not a problem at all, really." His gaze moves over to the direction the men left in and he sucks on his teeth, "I'm sure I'll see them again, I don't imagine they're taking this well." “It would have been a problem for me though.” This is said quiet, sure. Dejected. Sarah’s own gaze follows Akihiro’s down the street, brow knitting as she focuses on the three weaving figures. “What if they bring more people next time?” "I'll actually fight them then." Akihiro says with a slight shrug. "There are only two humans I can think of that actually stand a chance against me and one of them is Steve." there's no pride in his voice when he says this, rather something closer to boredom. "How about we get you back so you can get out of those beer soaked clothes?" he suggests, shifting the subject slightly. A short-lived giggle emerges. “Any other guy, I would worry that’s some sort of line,” Sarah tells him, turning in the opposite direction of their would-be assailants. “I think you’re good though.”